Elisha w



(No Model.)

E. W. BUI'IINTON. ROSETTE FOB. ELECTRIC LIGHTING.

No.Y 480,915. y Patented Aug- I6, 1892.

W|Tr-lE55E5 INI/ENTER ma Noms Farms co., maro-umm, msuwmnn. n. c.

UNITED STATES JPATENT OFFICE.

ELISI-IA W. BUFFINTON, OF FALL RIVER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ALBERT F. DOW, OF SAME PLACE.

ROSETTE FOR ELECTRIC LIGHTING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 480,915, dated August 16, 1892.

Application iiled May 27, 1892. Serial No. 434,629. (No model.)

.To all whom it may concern.:

Be it known that I, ELIsHA W. BUFFINTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fall River, in the county of Bristol and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rosettes for Electric Lighting, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to rosettes or cut-out rosettes for electric lighting, more especially where incandescent lamps are employed; and the invention relates particularly to the means for securing and holding in position circuit-wires which connect with the source of electricity. A common method of securing the wire is to bind it under the edge of the head of a screw, which is turned down firmly upon it; but as there are necessarily two wires which connect with each rosette the pull of one wire upon the under side of the screw-head is in the direction which tends to turn out the screw and loosen it. This tendency is aided when the system is in use in mills or factories by the jar of the machinery. Moreover, it is quite common for the screw-heads to break off. Another method of securing the wire is to turn the end or point of the screw directly down upon it. This, however, is very apt to cut the wire, or at any rate to indent it to such an extent that in case the wire is moved itbreaks at that point. Moreover, the clamping portions of the rosettes are often so carelessly made that it is difficult to bring the point of the screw down upon the wire without danger of the wire slipping out, in which case, of course, an arc is formed, with consequent danger of iire.

It is the object of my invention'to obviate these difficulties; and the nature of the device is fully described below and iilustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a plan view of the under side of a rosette embodying my invention as it is secured in position upon a ceiling. Fig. 2 is a central vertical section of the same. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the under of one pair of jaws, below described. Fig. 4t is a detailed section showing a modification.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts.

A represents a porcelain cup. This cup may be used with or without a base, as desired, the base making no part of the invention. Y

The cup A is provided with the ordinary opposite slots or openings a in its iiange or rim A. Resting on the bottom of each of these passages a is a plate B, extending from the interior of the cup to the outside, as shown. This plate is provided with three perforations O, D, and E, of sufficient size, respectively, to receive loosely the screws F, H, and I. As these perforations are not threaded, the screws do not engage in them. This plate B is provided on its upper side at about its longitudinal center with integral protuberances or bunches B', as shown in Figs. 2 and 8, and near its outer end it is furnished on its upper surface with a transverse semicircular groove B. Above this plate is placed a plate K of similar shape, said plate being provided on its under side near its outer end with a semicircular transverse groove exactly similar to and coincident with the groove B in the plate B. Moreover, this plate is provided with suitable internally-screw-threaded perforations, by means of which it is engaged by the screws F I-I I, which pass loosely through the perforations O D E in the under plate. The screw F is simply for connecting electrically the plate Ktwith the iiexible wires S, which lead down to the incandescent lamp, and the perforation O in the lower plate is simply to accommodate the end of said screw. The upper plate K rests upon the protuberances B which constitute its fulcrum, so that practically the upper plate is a movable jaw or lever, while the under plate is astationaryjaw. To move the outer end of the jaw K away from the corresponding end of the jaw B, the screw I is loosened and the screw H turned up with its head against the cup A, the jaw K moving on its fulcrum B. To draw the outer ends of the jaws together, the screw I is of course tightened and the screw II loosened. The electric wires L L are laid within the coincident grooves in the outer ends of these jaws, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and the jaws are then forced by the means above described tightly over these wires, clamping them firmly, so that there is no possibility of their slipping, it making no dierence, of course, froml which direc- IOO tion the strain comes. It is evident, also, that there is no danger of the wires becoming cut, as the contact is very long. Neither will they heat, as the wire cannot work loose, and hence there is no danger of an arc being formed and re resulting.

Preferably I make the grooves in which thewire is held as close as practical to the screw, in order that the greatest leverage may be had.

It is not absolutely necessary that both the jaws or plates should be grooved; but it is probably better to groove them both than to rely on a single groove.

In the modification shown in Fig. 4 I provide two sets of grooves, so that an extra electric-light wire may be accommodated, if desired.

Having thus fully described my invention, whatI claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with the rosette provided with the grooves or passages a, of the two plates or jaws B K, the plate B lying on the bottom of the groove and the plate K lying next above the plate B and rocking on a fulcrum, as Bf, intermediate with said plates, y

the bottom of the groove and the plate K lying next above the plate B and rocking on a fulcrum, as B', intermediate with said plates, the outer ends of said plates being grooved at B and adapted to be moved toward and from each other by suitable screws, whereby an electric wire may be grasped and firmly held between them, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with the rosette provided with the grooves or passages a, of the plate B, lying on the bottom of the groove and provided with the perforations C D E and protnberances Bf, and the plate K, resting on said plate B and provided with screwl threaded holes to receive the binding-screw j F and adjusting-screws H I, said plates being grooved at B to receive the electric-light wire, substantially as described.

ELISHA W BUFFINTON. Witnesses:

JOHN S. BRAYTON, J r., O. W. HART. 

